About magazines and bets
by toya1255
Summary: HiruMamo. Suzuna reads a curious magazine's article. "Ways to know a guy likes you". A devilish grin spread through her face along with an interesting idea, involving certain manager and QB...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer:** I do not own Eyeshield 21 in any form or its characters. This story is fictional and I wrote it just for fun and personal entertainment.

**Warning: **Rated T to be safe, due to Hiruma's coarse language.

**A/N:** So, here it is, my first HiruMamo in english. I love constructive criticism. Thank you very much *bows*. For now, enjoy!!

I want to dedicate this fic to Jillian Leonhart for all her support. Jill-chan, hope you like it!! :D

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**CHAPTER 1: HE LIKES ME...HE LIKES ME NOT**

It just couldn't be worse, really. She couldn't tear her eyes from the curious object that lied on the table. It had some sort of attraction power over her. She saw Suzuna flipping through its pages a little while ago as if it was nothing. She had wondered then, why the younger girl enjoyed so much time reading stuff like that. It was _just_ a magazine for football's sake!!

On the cover of said magazine, it was written in bold, bright capital letters "Ways to know a guy likes you!" Oh, c'mon! What's so interesting about that anyway?! True, it has been bothering her a little bit...Ok, maybe it was REALLY annoying her to no end... Crap.

The Deimon manager sighed and looked at the window; her eyes captured the sight of two little birds, nuzzling into each other in a tight embrace, she wasn't sure why but it made her feel quite sad. Her gaze returning to the previous spot on the table as the memories of the last hours rushed her mind.

* * *

_A few hours ago..._

"Mamo-nee! You HAVE to look at this!!" The young cheerleader said eagerly, showing Mamori a magazine.

"Oh, it's a...magazine...What's with that?" Said Mamori, a little confused.

"I know it's a magazine, but look at the title!!" Suzuna pointed at the bright letters.

"Umm, it says 'Ways to know a guy likes you'...What's so interesting about it?" Asked the older girl, who was indeed, curious about what Suzuna had in mind.

Suzuna gave her a devilish smile.

"Oh, I thought you could tell me..." The younger girl said with a mischievous look that sent chills to Mamori's back.

"Suzuna-chan! What do you mean?"

"Mamo-nee, this is the perfect occasion to find out!"

"To find out? About what?!" Mamori was getting a little exasperated. She had so much work to do!! Not to mention Hiruma gave her a little extra load. 'Those fucking tapes won't edit by themselves! Kekeke!' the demon had said before heading to the practice field a little while ago.

"To find out if You-nii likes you!"

"Not again! Suzuna-chan I've told you thousand times, Hiruma-kun and I don't have that kind of relationship!" Then it hit her. Suzuna was teasing her, again.

"So you're saying it could happen..."

"No! I'm just trying to...What I mean is...Well he's not..." Poor Mamori sighed; she was so tired because things always seemed to end like this.

"Look Suzuna-chan, just leave this matter alone alright? It'll never be like that"

"Or maybe it will" Mamori was getting annoyed by this useless predicament. They were partners! No need to rush things saying they were dating or something. So, Mamori gave her one of her 'I'm-getting-tired-of-your-teasing-looks' hoping to end the conversation quickly.

"I'm just saying it will be a good idea for you to check it out. Think about it, you can once and for all prove me he's not interested in you. Demon or not, he's still human, a boy to be precise. And unless he was gay or something (which he IS NOT) this can be your chance to find out!! 'Every guy behaves the same when it comes about women' Well, that's what the article says anyway..." The young cheerleader sweatdropped and turned on her heels, so her back was facing Mamori. And she continued.

"But, if you're right and you can prove me You-nii doesn't like you then I...I'll stop teasing you with him...I Promise...But! Here's the condition: Find **at least one** thing that proves he doesn't likes and you'll have to explain it with a convincing argument. So, if you manage to do it and convince me, it's your win, if not you'll have to date someone I personally pick for you!"

This surprised the young manager a little bit. Was that another tease?

"...A-are you serious??..." Mamori couldn't believe her ears. Suzuna made a promise of stop teasing her with Hiruma. After a few seconds of thought, she determined maybe it was fair, this was her only chance and all what she had to do was to play along. Finally Suzuna would stop telling her how cute she and Hiruma looked together, she'd stop disappearing after the practice games and leaving her all alone with the quarterback and many of those cupid-kind-of things she always did to try to make her 'closer' to Hiruma.

It's not it annoyed her, well it actually did, but all Mamori wanted was just prevent people to get the wrong idea. That's all. Hiruma and her **are and will be** comrades, partners and classmates. It is something that will never change.

"Fine..." She finally said. "I'll do it. I accept your challenge, Suzuna-chan"

"Ya! Mamo-nee!! Ok, it's settled. But remember: If you loose you'll **have to** date the guy I pick for you without any resistance..." A devilish crossed the cheerleader's face. Ah, but Mamori was clever; she knew that if she loses Suzuna will surely pick Hiruma for her to date. So, even if she lost (and that's so not going to happen!!) Suzuna wasn't smart enough to lure Hiruma-kun into a trap and make him date Mamori. This was going to be so easy, and either way it would be her win and not Suzuna's.

"_Only one reason, huh? I'm pretty sure I'll have plenty of material and convincing arguments to show Suzuna she's wrong... See? As you said Suzuna-chan...It's settled and it __will be__ my win!"_

* * *

That's right, she almost forgot the little challenge she made with Suzuna a few hours ago.

This was her chance to prove that neither, Hiruma or she was interested in each other, at least in the romantic way. True, she had grown closer to him in the past months. She learned how to get along with him and how to understand him. Besides Musashi, she was the only human being who wasn't afraid of him. Also, she was the only female with whom he shared a relationship similar to friendship. Taking in consideration, the fact he usually ignores girls. They both held a very strong bond, even if they didn't realize about it.

As a tag team there's no one who can stand to their level, they're way too smart. Maybe the only one capable of that was Yukimitsu, but even he is no match for the smartest couple of Deimon High. Probably Hiruma acknowledged and let her enter the team because of her intelligence and analog skills... But, if they worked so well as a team...Would be the same as a cou...

No, no, no! She had to stop making such assumptions! There's no way they'd end up together! He's so different from her, that demon...so tyrannical, coarse, rude, cruel, irresponsible, vulgar... mysterious, smart, brave, strong, cute...Wait. WHAT?!

Oh, this was bad. Really, really bad. She got carried away by her own reflexive thoughts. It was impossible, not even logical, and not even...real.

She felt uneasy, the more she wanted to forget what happened, the more she recalled it. 'Hiruma' and 'cute' in the same sentence is not only not possible but grammatically incorrect! There's no way to put both opposite words in the same sentence unless in the middle you add 'is definitely NOT' or 'will never be'. It didn't suit him, AT ALL.

While her head was still a complete mess she went to the locker's room, she had to calm herself with something. Maybe editing that videotape would ease her mind for a while. 'Where did I put that videotape?' It wasn't in her locker, and obviously wasn't in _his_ locker, he the-one-who-can-not-be-mentioned by her own mind right now. Mamori started searching all around the clubhouse, until it hit her. She left it on the table.

A strong wave of relief showered her. Now, she can finally do her job. When Mamori was about to pick said tape her eyes found another interesting object next to the tape. It was the damn magazine, the little piece of crap that made her whole day miserable.

"Ok, I've got enough of you...I'll put an end to this foolish comedy..." So instead of picking the videotape, Mamori took the magazine. It was now or never. After all, she made a deal with Suzuna, if she could prove that Hiruma lacked at least one (if not all) of this ridiculous article's "advices" then she'll have nothing to worry about silly questions of her liking Hiruma and vice versa.

So, she began reading.

**A/N: **Please let me know what you think!! :D Constructive criticism is highly appreciated. ^3^


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclamer: **I do not own Eyeshield 21 or any of it characters, also I do not own the original article from where I took my references to make this fanfiction. The character Dr. Anne Waynes is a fictional character, just like the version of the article written in this fanfiction. The true and original article can be found at: http: // shine. yahoo. com / channel / sex / he-likes-me-doesnt-he-446147 (to access the link, copy and paste on your web browser and eliminate the spaces)

Like I said in the previous chapter, this is fictional work I do for pure entertainment; I do not make any money out of this.

**A/N: **Ah! Have you ever found yourself reading something and it suddenly brings back memories or experiences? Well, that's what's happening to Mamori...She'll remember some little events from the past while she reads the "Ways to know a guy likes you"... :D Hope you like them!!

Now, enjoy!! :D

**CHAPTER 2****: WAYS A TO KNOW A GUY LIKES YOU.**

_Every girl should know these little tips, so you and your 'prince charming' can have the long awaited 'Happily ever after'. So, let's begin! Times have changed, and so have dating. Nowadays boys are way more different, their miscues make'__s it really hard to know whether they want you as a friend or as the love of their lives. Remember to keep an eye on these behaviors.. Our expert psychologist Dr. Anne Waynes says that "The teenage males tend to show specific behavior patterns when they feel attracted by a girl. But of course every boy has his own way to demonstrate his interest on a female, so it is not a surprise to see some boys showing off, trying to impress their loved ones using the weirdest strategies in order to keep her attention focused on him. That's what makes teenage love so interesting!"..._

Oh sure, these people don't know about him. When it comes to males you have two kinds, the commoners and the one and only, Hiruma Youichi. He definitely is not a normal guy. Mamori knew that very well. She couldn't help a loud laughter when she read the first part of the article.

"Sure, these ladies didn't know about him at all!!" This stupid thing wasn't boring after all. Mamori kept reading, and wondered if all those researches of human behavior were reliable.

'I made a deal with Suzuna, so all I have to do is read this and show her how wrong she is. There's no way this can be true, especially if the subject scheduled for this wicked experiment is the twisted demon Hiruma...' Mamori thought for herself. As she sunk herself into the magazine, she made her way to the big couch.

This was going to be interesting.

_...Check out these ten signals to know if your prince charming is on the move!_ The next title said. At first Mamori thought it would be a long annoying list of silly ideas; instead she found the article only mentioned four points. "Ok, then I'll do this faster than I expected" Again her eyes sunk into the sea of words.

_**1.**__** He'll mark his territory. **__It's not he will actually pee on you but definitely his behavior will be somewhat animal-like. If he's determined to have you as his partner he won't want to loose you, not to mention let another guy take you away..._

Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas or any holiday was dangerous, especially if you're the most popular girl of your entire school. That peaceful summer morning, Anezaki Mamori was heading to the club house when suddenly she found herself being surrounded by a large crowd of love sick teenagers who wanted to proclaim their love to her. How many times she had to deal with this?! It was Deimon's summer festival not Valentine's day for creampuff's sake!

"Mamori-san you're so beautiful!"

"I LOVE YOU!!" "Please date me!!" "No! Date me!!" They all wanted her attention, but being a simple human being she couldn't split herself in twenty so she could calm the whole crowd down, besides it was getting late and certain someone will mostly get pissed if she didn't showed up on time.

"Please, guys...I can't date all of you, it's really flattering but...I" She was trying to be honest; she didn't want to hurt their feelings. It was useless. They were so loud and annoying, Mamori was getting exasperated.

BAAAAAAANG!!!

The loud explosion made everyone shake in fear. What the hell just happened?

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?! FUCKING MANAGER!!" Yup, it was Hiruma. "The fucking practice started one hour ago and your fucking ass wasn't there!" The boys who were chasing Mamori looked up, just to find themselves with the devil himself.

"I have a name, you know. Don't fire your guns like that! You can hurt someone..." She was really upset; first she had to deal with those annoying boys and now him?!

"Like hell I care..."

"Look! I-It's Hi-Hiruma!! RUN!!" One of the lovesick boys screamed. "I didn't know Mamori-san was in the football club! It was a bad idea after all!!" "I don't want anything to do with the football club!!" In the blink of an eye everyone was gone. Mamori was finally alone with the devilish quarterback. They stood in silence a few seconds, until Mamori broke the silence.

"You didn't have to do that...But, thank you..." She was relieved he found her just in time. Secretly, she felt happy for it, she could feel how her lips curled into a faint smile.

"Tch, stop mumbling useless crap and keep going...Practice already started..." After that he disappeared. Mamori arrived at the field, surprisingly no one was there. Then she remembered a curious fact. "...Today's practice was cancelled..."

* * *

Mamori was a little bit surprised when she recalled that moment just after reading the first point._ Could it be...? No! Stupid, stupid Mamori!! There's just no way he had done that because he cares!! _. She then thought about the possibility of him forgetting he cancelled that specific practice. _I can't pick this one, I'm pretty sure I'll recall this moment again, if I confront Suzuna with this choise I would never fool her! __I'm not a very good liar though, she'll definitely notice if I say something out of character. Guess I'll move on with the next one. _

_**2. **__**He's flirtatious. **__Boys usually get playful with the girls they like. He'll try to play and show you his daring and interest in you. Ah, but there is something more than just flirt, he'll be probing. He'll try to make up a little show to check if you'll reciprocate. Basically, the more you play the more the boy will stay..._

Mamori, Sena and Monta made their way out of the clubhouse, it was indeed a hard day of practicing and also the regular players for the Fall Tournament were announced. As they walked the blonde quarterback stopped their tracks. His back was facing them; they could notice he was holding something that looked like a photograph.

"Hey damn manager! Take a look at this!!" Said eagerly Hiruma as he turned back to face them completely, revealing the mysterious picture.

"T-that's...!" Monta and Sena were blushing hard. Mamori wanted to die. It was a picture of her wearing that stupid cheerleader outfit!!

"Nooooo!" Now she was blushing hard, and all because of that stupid, stupid photo!!

"The damn manager at cheerleading practice in the clubroom!!" An evil grin spread through his face.

"Wa-wait!!" She tried to persuade Hiruma, but of course, it was useless. He was enjoying each second of her misery. "Stored in the Devil's Handbook!! Kekekekeke!!!"

If all he wanted to do was to piss her off...Well, he did it.

"YOU'RE HORRIBLE!!!"

"YA-HA!!"

* * *

A faint smile drew itself on her lips. She lost track of time, her mind wandered around those memories she held close to her heart. Memories about her friends and the dream that brought their undefined destinies together: The Christmas Bowl. It's been only six months since everything started. "Who'd ever thought I will end up joining the American football team...I remember last year's fights between the Disciplinary Committee and him...I couldn't stand his presence I used to think he was a heartless cold-blooded bastard who didn't give a ** about anyone. But the truth was far beyond my understanding. He did everything he could to keep the club alive, for the sake of his and his best friend dream. He was always there to protect and guide Kurita (with his very own style, of course), since Musashi-kun temporally left them. But now he has a complete, strong team. A team built out of nothing with merely amateurs who'll fight till death if necessary in order to pursue _their_ dream..." Her eyes strayed from the magazine to the window; the cotton like clouds floated lazily over the deep blue sky, giving her a soothing feeling of utter relaxation. When Mamori lowered her gaze back to the magazine the point number three shocked her a little bit.

_**3. Acts of selflessness.**__Do we need to say more? He'll sacrifice things precious for him in order to make you happy. These can be either small or large acts. From pulling back a chair for you to sit to even protect you from other guys..._

The game ended. Harao didn't have another choice but forfeit in the middle of the game. His best lineman and friend collapsed over Gaou's brutal power. There was nothing else to do; he couldn't risk the rest of the team to face the same destiny as Banba. It was cruel, indeed, but necessary. From the other side of the stadium a commotion could be heard. For some reason Gaou seemed pissed off and out of control. He completely destroyed the iron bars that protected the audience. Someone was laughing at Banba which certainly gave the monster enough reasons to break everyone's bones on that stand. Males...and females as well, gender didn't matter.

She knew it, because she was there. At that time, chaos and concern about self well-being wasn't as important as protect the life of someone you care. There she stood firmly with her arms wide open. She would not move despite the raging fear that boiled inside her heart. The wild beast was standing a few feet away from her, one single blow from his right arm and they'll be dead. She was ready to face said destiny for the sake of protecting. Suddenly, something was blocking her view. Whatever it was, she was sure it was tall, really tall. Confused she raised her head to take a better look of the tall form. She couldn't believe her eyes; standing before her was the tall blonde known as Hiruma Youichi. He was quick to realize something bad would happen and he got there in time. He used his lanky frame to protect Mamori and Suzuna. He was ready for a fight, if Gaou dared to attack them he would be the first one to get hit, giving the girls enough time to run away...

* * *

A fuzzy warm feeling rushed all over her body as she remembered that day. She could feel her cheeks burning. "Hiruma-kun could have left us, and kept himself safe but instead...He..."

The weird feeling was replaced by nervousness and confusion. A whole new mixture of emotions boiled inside her heart. She had to ask herself the question, whether she liked or not, that maybe...just maybe...the fuzzy warm feeling was her heart way to tell her she's falling in love?

**A/N: **Uh...W-what do you think? O.o I found this curious article on my Yahoo Homepage while reading my mail. It looked interesting and the idea popped in my mind. End of story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Eyeshield 21 or any of its characters. I don't get any money for doing this. Eyeshield 21 belongs to Riichiro Inagaka and Yuusuke Murata. Suzuna's nickname was borrowed from Jill Leonhart, with her permission.

**A/N: **I want to thank **EVERYONE** who's been reading this small story of mine. I am really grateful for everyone's reviews, Story Alerts and Favorites. Thank you very, very much! I feel really happy!!

I hope you like this chapter!! *bows* (This is quite a long chapter! Kyaaa~! :D)

Enjoy!

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**CHAPTER 3: AND THE WINNER IS...**

_Previously..._

The weird feeling was replaced by nervousness and confusion. A whole new mixture of emotions boiled inside her heart. She had to ask herself the question, whether she liked or not, that maybe...just maybe...the fuzzy warm feeling was her heart's way to tell her she was falling in love?

--

Was it really "love" or something more like a "crush"? Mamori was about to ask herself said question when suddenly the door of the clubhouse busted open. In the blink of an eye the young manager was surrounded by the whole American football team. _Time sure flies when you're having fun... _she thought sarcastically. Oh well, at least keeping herself busy with the team will surely relax her a bit. Everyone was sweaty, tired and thirsty; demanding towels, bandages and water. They didn't called it the 'hellish training' for nothing.

"Hey fucking manager! Need the shitty tapes now!!" Among the crowd's civilized conversation, a rather annoyed growl found its way to the manager's ears. Oh dear. She forgot about the tapes. Wait a sec! Did Mamori Anezaki actually stray away from her duties as a manager?! Truth to be told, she did. She knew he'll get pissed about it, and to make things worse she had no excuse to use on her favor. She wasn't a very good liar after all AND she couldn't reveal the true reason why she didn't worked on those damn tapes! Her sapphire hues landed over the lanky figure across the room while the recent memories carved the deepest corner of her mind making her feel quite uneasy.

She was nervous; her brain working at full speed trying to find a convincing argument to why she didn't had the tapes edited. _Oh dear! He's going to kill me.._. Well, he would not kill her literally, obviously, however it was a fact he'll get pissed about the whole issue, because for him efficiency was the key to success. So, if everything was so simple, rational and predictable, why in the world was Mamori Anezaki so nervous that she didn't want to meet Hiruma's intense gaze? Was she afraid of him? No. That can't be the true reason. _Then why?_

Mamori was about to speak when suddenly and unintentionally Musashi dragged Hiruma into a God-knows-what kind of conversation that made said demon to temporally lose his interest on the shitty tapes, Mamori took this opportunity to leave and start working. _Phew, that was close; Gosh, why did I became so nervous when I saw him? It's not like he looked different than usual, I mean he is the same potty-mouthed captain we all know and love... _Mamori thought, as she worked on the task she left unfinished.

Meanwhile, Yukimitsu, Doburoku-sensei and Hiruma checked over a few strategies and game plans for the next practice. And certain manager who was supposed to be there too, was nowhere to be seen. The devilish boy looked around trying to find the missing manager. He spotted her inside the little studio editing the tapes he gave her a few hours ago.

"Fucking manager, what the hell are you doing?! Bring your fucking ass here RIGHT NOW!!"

"Hiruma-kun! I'm currently finishing the tapes! Can't you wait a little bit? Besides, you have Yukimitsu and Doburoku-sensei to help you! Geez..."

An annoyed grunt was his only answer. _ This goddamn woman! _Man, he was pissed as usual; she on the other hand was acting rather...¿odd? She, the fucking goody-two shoes, remarkable member of the disciplinary committee, the always responsible mother-like figure in the whole fucking club, had not finished the task he assigned her like four or so hours ago? The sharp mind of Hiruma Youichi detected something on the girl's behavior that was a little amiss, but he just couldn't put a finger on it. _Hmm... so, fuckin' super mom also gets tired once in a while..._He finally concluded, not actually caring about the girl's personal issues, he had more important things to worry about right now; like the team's next practices, games and strategies on which Mamori was supposed to help him.

Besides, it didn't matter how smart or experimented, Yukimitsu and Doburoku were, they just lacked potential and initiative. Hiruma's strategic mind needed someone who could match his level; sure, fucking baldy was pretty smart but never reckless, too straightforward and too safe, the fucking manager on the other hand was creative and her strategies were well balanced, not too safe so the enemy would not take advantage, and not too risky to assure a complete pass or a run. Mamori's mind was indeed brilliant and usually came up with some interesting ideas. Unlike Yukimistsu and Doburoku whose plain train of thoughts ended up frustrating Hiruma even more.

Eventually the day must come to an end. It was almost six 'o clock when the whole team parted ways to their own homes.

"Ya! Mamo-nee, see you tomorrow! And don't forget about our little secret ok?" Suzuna waved her good byes to Mamori winking and smirking devilishly.

"Uh...Yeah. See you tomorrow!" Mamori replied sweatdropping. "What secret?" Asked Sena a little puzzled, he was standing beside Suzuna, also getting ready to leave. _Nosy men..._ Suzuna thought giggling.

"Girl's stuff, can't tell you!" Suzuna replied as she took Sena's hand and started walking. Sena was a little bit surprised by the girl's sudden action.

"C'mon Sena! Don't tell me you forgot your promise to walk me home today!" The pretty cheerleader giggled again and Sena's face became completely red. A small smile crossed through Mamori's lips as she saw the young couple walk away with the hyper idiot Taki happily swinging behind them, clueless as always. She then, went to the locker's room to pick her stuff and finally go home.

Inside of said room she found the quarterback ready to leave too.

"Hey fucking manager, here, take this with you. I'm going fucking home" The young boy handed her a rather large envelope. Mamori took it from Hiruma's slender digits.

"These are the fucking strategies that fucking baldy, Doburoku and I came with. We will have a fucking meeting tomorrow. And by "we" I mean fucking baldy, fucking drunkard, myself and you, fucking manager so...Hey! What the fuck are you staring at?!"

Ha! Mamori got caught! She didn't notice at the time, but she was staring at him with a rather weird look. Hiruma felt quite uncomfortable but shook that annoying feeling away.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry Hiruma-kun! I was just thinking and-" Her cheeks felt warm, she realized she was blushing. Hiruma just stood there, annoyed. _Yeah, you better make that little brain of yours work, fucking manager...Today her efficiency dropped about five percent..._

"Tch. Whatever, fucking manager. Just read this shit and prepare the fucking training session for tomorrow. That's it, I'm off!" With that, he walked away from her and left. Mamori sighed, embarrassed. _Ugh...What's wrong with me?! But..._

As much as the facts she recently discovered, annoyed her she simply couldn't deny it. _Hiruma-kun is rather good-looking..._

***

Mamori made her way home lazily; she felt her feet grew tired and clumsy with each step. She had a quite long day.

"I'm home!" She announced to her mother who was in the kitchen.

"Oh, hi honey! How was your day?" Asked Anezaki-san to her daughter, as Mamori unpacked her stuff in her bedroom.

_Ugh, horrible mom..._ "It was fine! We worked really hard today!" Mamori had dinner, chatted a little with her parents and worked on the tasks Hiruma gave her before going to sleep.

"Oh, honey I almost forgot! I bought you a small box of your favorite creampuffs..." Ah, creampuffs. Right now she needed a good ration of those. A sweet thing always helps you to think better, because, right now her mind felt and was like a huge turmoil.

"Geez...since when Hiruma-kun seems good-looking to me? Maybe it's all because his clothing? (I must admit it, he knows how to dress) His emerald gaze or his wild blonde hair?...Who knows?!" Mamori threw herself over her bed. She was exhausted.

"And to think everything started because that stupid magazine!" Oh, that's right! The magazine Suzuna gave her that afternoon, the little piece of paper that made her day so miserable!

Mamori took the teen magazine from her stuff and started to flip its pages. Trying to find the article she was previously reading...

Well, coming to think about it, she didn't answer the question that lingered in her head before the team busted inside the clubhouse. _Am I falling for Hiruma-kun? _Nonsense. Of course not! Maybe she thought he was good-looking and smart but, he was her partner; maybe even her friend! That's it! Maybe this whole mess was only in her head; is not 'love', but friendship. She loves him as a friend. Now, with that clear, let's continue with the last point of the article.

"Ah, here it is!"

However while her fingers played with the pages, deep, deep inside her an epic battle was unfolding; her rational mind versus her heart. Round one. Her brain told her this was her last chance to prove Suzuna she IS NOT in love with Hiruma. On the other hand, her heart told her the total opposite...

Mamori made a decision. It was now or never. _I will have to deal with the final result..._

She began reading.

_**4. He's forthcoming.**__ He wants you to know more about him. He'll casually cough little pieces of his personal information, like phone numbers or even his address. If he isn't giving up this kind of info, then he simply doesn't want you tracking him down--or he's a superhero! . So if he doesn't live at Gothic City or works at the Daily Planet, give it up...Probably he's not that interested anyway…_

She couldn't keep reading. There it was the proof to claim her victory. "But...why am I feeling so sad? ...I-I knew this would happen right?... This _was_ supposed to happen" Her voice cracked. There was no logical reason for her to feel so broken. Her mind told her it was her victory; she had the evidence to prove Suzuna (and herself) she didn't love Hiruma...

Ya-ha?

"I don't love him..." _Do I?_

This was her choice after all. "...I don't love him..." It was rational to think that way; he was the captain of the football club and she was the manager of _his_ club. Her mission: To control and manage the team's practices and games. Period. She could not allow herself to develop romantic feelings towards _him_; Deimon's most feared student, the commander from Hell, the infamous one, Hiruma Youichi. He was a bad boy, she was a good girl…He just wasn't her type. They were not meant to be.

A small crystalline drop fell into the magazine.

"I'm such an idiot..." The young manager whispered to the shadows, as more diamond-like drops kept falling from her sapphire eyes, as the moon remained as a silent witness of her forbidden secret.

***

When Suzuna got to the practice field, the training session was already started. Her day at her own school was heavy but she had to do everything on her power to get at Deimon on time.

"Today is the big day..." She was really excited! Finally the moment she had been waiting for so long will arrive. During practice, the cheerleader observed from the corner of her eye Mamori's every movement. Oh dear! She couldn't wait any longer!

"Ya~! The epic moment it's right behind the corner, and if I'm not mistaken...everything's going according to plan..." A devilish smirk spread through her face and started clacking Hiruma's style.

"Ahaha! My sister! It seems you imitate Monsieur Hiruma really well!" Taki happily said as he lifted his leg and started swinging.

Suzuna waited until practice finished. She usually helped Mamori in every way she could. This time though she had to wait a little longer since Mamori had a small meeting with Hiruma and Doburoku. _What are they discussing? Maybe about who'll be our next opponent? Or maybe about new strategies and game plans? _Suzuna wondered. Despite her happy-go-lucky attitude, Suzuna was a really observant person. She knew Mamori was acting oddly but no one, except her, actually noticed. _Mamo-nee seems nervous...I wonder why!..._ Suzuna thought sarcastically and smiled to herself. _Victory is mine! Ya!_

Mamori on the other hand felt quite uneasy, the final hour was slowly crawling its way through the long path of time in order reach her. How ironic, isn't it? At first, she was looking for strong evidence to silence the rumors, to show the world her relationship with Hiruma was purely professional; but instead of said 'evidence' she discovered a truth completely absurd and opposite of what she had thought. To Mamori this whole experience felt as if going into a torture session to extract information from her. Mamori left the clubhouse and found Suzuna already waiting for her.

"Suzuna-chan, I'm sorry I kept you waiting but Hiruma-kun wanted to discuss some strategies and it took us more time than expected" Mamori apologized as the two of them made their way home.

"Don't worry. By the way, thank you very much for letting me spend the night at your place. Is it ok with your parents, Mamo-nee?" The young girl asked politely.

"Oh, they're ok with it. You're always welcomed Suzuna-chan" Mamori smiled warmly at the younger girl.

Once at Mamori's house, both girls were getting ready for sleep when Suzuna popped the long awaited question.

"So Mamo-nee, Are you ready to confess?" That...wasn't exactly the question Mamori expected from Suzuna.

"Uh...What?" Yup, Suzuna's plan was working perfectly! Now, time to make things even more interesting!

"I mean if you're ready to lose this bet!" Suzuna said teasingly.

-

**A/N:** Yay!! Finally the third chapter!! I'm sorry for the long wait, but because of my damn laptop, I lost some of the chapters…So I had to re-do 'em all over again, that plus school…*sigh* Anyways I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read, review or fave this small text of mine. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Eyeshield 21 or any of its characters. I don't get any money for doing this. Eyeshield 21 belongs to Riichiro Inagaka and Yuusuke Murata. Suzuna's nickname was borrowed from Jill Leonhart, with her permission.

**A/N: **Suzuna's nickname was used in this chapter and not in last one…Ups, my mistake!! I hope you like it!! Thank you very much to all of you for all those encouraging and wonderful reviews, Faves and Alerts!!! I am very grateful and happy. I thought this story would be unpopular I even thought people wouldn't like it, but now I realize I was wrong. Thank you very much; I owe you the success of this small story so I want to dedicate this chapter to all of you!!! THANK YOU. *hugz*

Enjoy!!

**CHAPTER 4: ABOUT SECRETS AND DATES.**

**--**

"So, are you ready to lose this bet Mamo-nee?" Suzuna cheerfully asked to the older girl; Mamori was indeed surprised by the cheerleader's sudden question.

"I-I'm sorry to say this Suzuna-chan, but… it's my win…" Her voice lacked confidence. She knew she had won the stupid bet, yet she felt sad. Inhaling deeply, Suzuna slowly replied.

"I…I already know that, Mamo-nee"

Wait…

WHAT?!

Err…What on Earth is going on?! Mamori was shocked by the girl's answer. This was totally unexpected! And what does she mean by saying she already knew it?! Mamori wanted an explanation. Now.

Suzuna's expression turned into a cool calm and collected one, her voice was soft yet so full of confidence; Mamori have never ever seen Suzuna acting like this before. A small smile crossed cheerleader's lips.

"It's just that I knew it all along…I knew I would 'lose'…" Now Mamori was utterly speechless and confused. Wasn't she the one who claimed herself the winner just a few moments ago?

"What?! E-excuse me Suzuna-chan…But I don't think I understand what you're saying…" It was the very first time she saw Suzuna acting so calm and confident; her head was filled with unsolved questions. Why did Suzuna made a bet she knew she would lose? Why was she acting like this? Was this some kind of joke or was she is hiding something else? Mamori tried to answer all her questions when Suzuna took control of the situation.

"Well Mamo-nee, I can tell you're confused and you have a lot of questions in your head about the real purpose of this bet. Am I right?" The young cheerleader smiled sweetly to her friend. Mamori just nodded in agreement. To be honest, Mamori suspected Suzuna had done something of the sort, like reading the magazine beforehand, but never in a million years, had she expected her reaction would be like this. Suzuna continued.

"Mamo-nee is a pretty intelligent girl, unlike me. But… you still don't know the real reason behind all of this…Ne?-

"Huh? What are you talking about Suzuna-chan? I feel quite dizzy and I would like you to explain me everything… Is this some kind of joke, Suzuna-chan? What do you want to get out of this?" Mamori's mind was desperately searching for answers, indeed she was smart but the sudden turn of the events made her uneasy and to make things worse, she was still confused about her own feelings towards the infamous Hiruma. However, she couldn't let Suzuna realize about the whole issue, so she continued her speech. Suzuna simply stood there quietly listening to her friend, her smile always plastered on her pretty face.

"You clearly said if I won the bet then you'd stop teasing me with Hiruma-kun, well I think you've read the magazine already, so you should know better that Hiruma-kun hates to disclose his personal information. Not even to his best friends, Kurita or Musashi-kun" She had a good argument at this point; Suzuna's smile turned into a smirk.

"Oh, of course I know that! But like I said before, Mamo-nee is a very smart girl, so if you were so sure about the feelings you both have for each other, were nothing but friendship; Wouldn't have been even easier to state something along the lines of: 'There's no need to read the article when I know for sure he's not interested in me in a romantic way, you can say the article alone is evidence enough to prove it! It's Hiruma-kun we're talking about, for creampuff's sake!!' Don't you think Mamo-nee? And with that simple statement, victory would have been all yours!" Suzuna smiled at Mamori once more time. The young manager was dumbfounded. At that time she didn't know what else to say or do. Mamori felt rather frustrated due to the fact she was unable to read through Suzuna's scheme. Suzuna's smirk grew even bigger.

"Ok, let me explain it to you Mamo-nee…As you are now wondering if this was a setup for you, then I must agree… Sorry, but you fell into my little trap! Ya~! So, I'll just move on and explain the reason why you lost" Mamori felt inwardly relieved to hear those words, she was so tired of that silly game, plus she was curious about what Suzuna had to say.

"I lost? Alright Suzuna-chan, let's do it your way then…" Mamori said defeated, she was so exhausted.

"Ya~! My pleasure! For I, Suzuna the Matchmaker from Hell, has discovered your dirty little secret!" Mamori silently waited for Suzuna's explanation. The cheerleader inhaled deeply, she was so excited!

"You lost the bet quite easily, I might add. At first, I thought it wouldn't work! But, you agreed to do it. And from that moment on, my victory was already decided. You may ask why…Well, because your real purpose was to find out if You-nii really liked you. Despite you're constantly surrounded by boys, you don't know too much about the flirting-dating world. Probably one or two parts of the article reminded you of him and when you got to the last part you felt sad. I can tell because of your eyes, Mamo-nee."

When Mamori heard those words, her heart ached as if it was being stabbed over and over again. Her expression remained the same, calm and bored. Suzuna stared at her friend for a few seconds before continuing.

"Mamo-nee, You never wondered why did I always teased you when we were alone? Yes, I'm afraid of You-nii as much as everyone else, but the true reason behind all of it was to make you confess!"

"Confess?!" Mamori said out loud in astonishment.

"Yup. This ordeal was planned just for that unique purpose: unravel the secret feelings that, not You-nii, but you have! Mamo-nee… you like him don't you?" Mamori's eyes widen in surprise. Her deepest, forbidden secret was now exposed; and there was barely anything she could do to deceive Suzuna. How pathetic. Her pride didn't allow her to admit it out loud. Slowly, Mamori lowered her head; her bangs gracefully covered her sapphire hues. She nodded slightly and mumbled a barely audible 'Yes'. Silence fell over the two girls, Suzuna was surprised. It worked!

"YA~! Mamo-nee!! I knew it! I always knew it!" Suzuna became her happy-go-lucky usual self; the young cheerleader threw her arms around her friend into a tight embrace.

It was Suzuna's happiest day ever! "Su-Suzuna-chan I-I can't breathe!"

"Mamo-nee you're so mean! You never told me anything, so I had to force you to tell me! Uh…By the way I'm sorry…" The older girl turned to face Suzuna, and smiled.

"It's ok. You don't need to apologize. Actually…I'm kind of…relieved…" Indeed, Mamori felt lighter, it felt good to be able to express what was confined to your heart. She felt so confused and now thanks to Suzuna's scheme she was able to realize about her true feelings.

"Well, I can trust you, right? You WON'T tell anyone…But more importantly" Mamori was cut off by Suzuna, who gave her a huge cute smile. "Ya~! Don't you worry Mamo-nee! But remember, a bet is a bet. So you're going to have a date!!" Suzuna was bouncing up and down happily.

"W-what?" The young manager froze. _Oh dear! Please not HIM!_

"Ah, well Suzuna-chan I don't think he'll-"

"Oh! You have nothing to worry about Mamo-nee! It's not You-nii…I'm not suicidal you know?" Suzuna gave a small chuckle. Mamori felt just a little disappointed. A really tiny little part of her really wanted to date the devilish quarterback though…Yeah, even if it sounded scary. Then Mamori got curious. _Who could be...?_

"Then…Who am I going to date Suzuna-chan?" A devilish smirk spread through the cheerleader's lips.

--

"I'M GOING TO DATE MAMORI-SWAAAAAAAN!! HAPPY MAAAX!!!

--

**A/N: **Boy, this doesn't look good at all!! O.o Poor Mamo-nee!! ^3^ Thank you everyone for reading!! *hugz*

P.S. Hmm…Maybe I will check this chapter later…just to change some little mistakes…I'm sorry! ^_^0 I really wanted to post this chapter ASAP :P Thank you!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Eyeshield 21 or any of its characters. I don't get any money for doing this. Eyeshield 21 belongs to Riichiro Inagaka and Yuusuke Murata.

**A/N: ** Most of you want to kill me but…You can't! Ya-ha! 'Cuz If I die so will the story! So please bear with me! I beg of you my dear readers…Anyways I do owe you all a rather long apology. So to make it up with you, this is gonna be a huge chapter, a bit focused on third parties but in order to understand upcoming things you should read this chapter.

Anyway you will have more stuff to read! I'm currently working on chap 6, but I had planned this to be only ten chapters long…perhaps shorter so, soon rather than late we might have its ending…**THANK U ALL for your alerts, faves, comments and all your love! **

One final note! In response to some reviews I tried to add a bit more of SenaSuzu, just to make things more interesting (I hope!)

Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 5: THE BEAUTY AND THE MONKEY.**

"Ha?"

"Haa?"

"Haaaaaa?"

"Monta…Are you really going on a date with Mamo-nee?" Sena and the others were speechless.

"Yes Maaaaax!" The catcher proudly stated. Sena and the rest of the team just couldn't believe it! Anezaki Mamori actually agreed to have a date with the monkey? That was way too bizarre. Mamori, who was just a few feet away from them, easily figured out the main topic of their conversation.

The young manager knew something like this would happen when Suzuna told Monta about the date-thing early in the morning. Mamori had planned to tell the monkey-guy to do an errand with her. But as always, Suzuna refused and gave Monta the news early while the football team was practicing.

Mamori sighed and tried to explain her true reasons.

"Uh, guys? I'm not going to have a date with Monta-kun, he just offered himself to accompany me to buy some stuff for the club" Mamori was embarrassed, the fact Monta was telling everyone in the whole club that they were going on a date, wasn't helping either; especially if the rumor reached certain devilish boy…

"What the fuck do you, bunch of idiots, think you're doing? Stop the fucking _shit-chatting_ and get your asses right back to the field!" He fired his beloved pair of AK47, to emphasize his latter statement. And just as he expected everyone left the room almost instantly, Mamori felt relieved.

"So, a little fucking bird told me that miss perfect was actually going on a date with fucking monkey…Kekekeke! Is this your act of charity of the week?"

At least, she was relieved for a few seconds. Hiruma cackled loudly, he was _so_ fucking enjoying her misery.

"Don't be mean Hiruma-kun! It's just as I said! We're going to buy some stuff at Kimidori's" Hiruma's smirk grew bigger. She was so damn lame…

"Oh? Is that so? Because I don't fucking remember asking you to buy anything for the fucking team, fucking manager…" Good heavens! It was so frustrating! He was being so annoying! He was Hiruma after all, and being the evil guy he normally was, the boy just couldn't resist the temptation to mock her… It was so fucking hilarious! Plus she was a perfect target for his teasing; she was rather amusing for him, especially every time she got pissed off.

Mamori tried to calm herself down. At any rate he would probably try to get the real reason for this sudden and out of character action. He was a very curious boy. It was one of the things she discovered after all this time of working along with him. Even if he did not demonstrate that part of him quite often, Mamori knew better.

However she couldn't tell him about the bet…Could she?

"It's just like I said! We're going to, uh…we're just going out like friends. We-we'll buy some creampuffs and drink coffee! What's so interesting about it?" She was nervous and like she thought, Hiruma was no fool.

"You're a very lousy liar fucking manager" Hiruma told her with his trademark smirk plastered all over his demonic face. She couldn't hold it any longer, if she wanted to get rid of Hiruma she would have to pull a trick of her own in order to get it. _Oh, I just hope it works!_ She inhaled deeply and eagerly spited her argument.

"Alright! I'll tell you! … I'm going out with Monta because I lost a bet with Suzuna-chan! She said I could not spend an hour in the clubhouse without eating at least one creampuff…I ate the whole box!... Happy now?"

Sweet Creampuffs! She did it. She actually did it! Her face was red and she was breathing heavily.

Di-did Hiruma fell for it?

Mamori had closed her eyes due to all the previous excitement; it helped her to focus on what she was saying and not in the demon boy in front of her. That is how she managed to pull the lie off. She was quite unsure about Hiruma's reaction, so she opened her eyes slowly, waiting patiently for some hint that could warn her if the demonic captain actually believed her lie.

"What?" Mamori could not believe her eyes, Hiruma was nowhere to be seen! He left while she had her eyes closed! "That monster!" Poor Mamori felt even more embarrassed than before, Hiruma was always like that…He really enjoyed every time he pissed her off.

Meanwhile back at the field, Hiruma was cackling madly and firing his guns against his frightened teammates.

"Run fucktards! Run as if you've lost your mind! YA-HA!" Hiruma may have been overreacting with his hellish training session this particular time, but no one could ever tell what was really going through his mad-genius head.

"Hieee! I'm too young to die!" Sena screamed as he dashed around the field. However Monta wasn't nervous at all. You could easily tell the reasons of his odd behavior; of course, he was having a date with Mamori-san! Ah, he surely was the luckiest male student in Deimon.

* * *

"Monta? Um, where are you? Monta!" Sena wandered around the field looking for his best friend. Sighing heavily he gazed to the empty field once more time. "I get distracted for a few seconds and he disappears …Maybe he's at the club room getting his stuff to go home…" Sena reasoned after a couple of minutes, since it was the most logical option he could think of. With these thoughts in mind, the young boy walked off lazily back to the Clubroom.

The runningback walked slowly, his poor feet hurt like hell! And his knees! Don't forget about a runner's knees! His legs sore as if they would rip apart at any moment.

"Ouch, today's training was indeed a 'living hell' Hiruma-san made us train until we were completely worn out! Not that it was something unusual but, today's practice was a little different…"

The club room was probably empty, Sena thought, since the practice had finished and everyone left the school and went home. Damn, he wanted to go home too! But Monta had asked him to stay a bit longer, because he had something he wanted to share with the runningback. Sena being the nice guy he was, accepted; besides walking home with your best friend was funnier than going home all by yourself bored all the way.

Sena opened the door carefully; he didn't want to disturb whoever was in there… That is, _if_ someone was really in there.

"Uh, Monta? Hello? Is anybody here?" Sena asked to the shadows in the room. '_I knew it, no one's here. Perhaps he went home already. Well, guess I won't find him here either. Then I'll just go home with Mamori-neechan…Though I wonder if she, too, left already…_'

"Fucking monkey left a few minutes ago with your fucking girlfriend." A familiar yet scary voice came from the shadows.

"HIEEEEEEEEEE!" Sena almost peed on himself upon hearing the terrifying voice of his demonic captain coming out of the deep darkness.

"Hi-Hiruma-san?" Poor Sena was on the verge of suffering a heart attack. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were still here…"

Hiruma calmly continued typing on his laptop as if nothing ever happened. Sena tried miserably to compose himself after the mortal shock of his life; he thought it'd be a good (yet stupid) idea to ask Hiruma about Monta's and Mamori's whereabouts.

"Umm, d-do you know where Monta or Mamori-neechan are?" Sena asked utterly terrified.

Hiruma lifted his emerald gaze lazily, poor Sena shivered. _Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all!_

"Told ya'. Fucking monkey left with your fucking girlfriend. And fucking manager left early today. Anything else you wanna know, fucking shrimp?" The young boy was petrified by the sudden calmness of his trigger-happy-usually-loud-and-violent senpai.

'_I don't know what is scariest, the wicked and violent Hiruma-san or this calm and collected Hiruma-san! Hieee! I've got a bad feeling about this! I better thank him and leave as soon as possible; I don't want to be the one to trigger his annoyance into anger! _

…_Wait a second…That's right, rather than calmness is annoyance! Hiruma-san looks upset about something; his behavior was slightly different today…Something must be nagging him. Ah, I must leave now! And try to not get killed in the process…_'

"Wha-? Ah, thank you Hiruma-san! So he left with my girlfriend, I see, well then I'm going to leav-" Realization came down to him at the speed of light!

WHAT? M-MY G-GIRLFRIEND? But I- Hiruma-sa- I don't-"

"Fucking skates"

"Eh? You mean Suzuna?"

"…"

"…"

"Just get the hell outta here Fucking shrimp!"

"HIEEE! YES SIR!" Sena ran away from the Club house as fast as his sore legs allowed him and a large cloud of dust was the only trace behind him. Hiruma just stared back at the closed door.

"That fucking…" He muttered as he chewed one of his sugar-less gum and began typing on his laptop again.

* * *

"Oh, man! That was close…" Sena gasped for precious air, his lungs almost collapsing and he felt his legs slowly become numb. A thought crossed his mind as he began to walk slowly again.

"Why did he…say Suzuna and I were-…" The young runningback flushed bright red, his heart raced uncontrollably; he didn't dare to complete the phrase.

"I-I mean, she's rather uh-pretty but…" He felt his cheeks grow warmer, could it be? No, that was impossible! He could never hope to get a girl like Suzuna. "She is popular and outgoing, and I'm…well, just me" His thoughts became more and more depressing, that was the precise reason why he didn't like romantic stuff. "I'm so hopeless…"

Sena was walking deep in thought when he heard some muffled voices. It was hard to hear what exactly they were saying, Sena tried to find the direction of those voices.

"-be ok. Trust me!" Sena recognized the eagerness and vibrant energy of that voice.

_Suzuna!_

"I suppose you're right" A male voice replied to the cheerleader. _And Monta too!_ Sena approached where his friends where lively chatting.

"Oh, Sena! I thought you had left already" Monta said loudly. His excitement was pretty much obvious.

"Yeah I thought that too, but Hiruma-san told me where you guys were" Sena scratched the back of his neck nervously, recalling the obvious annoyance in Hiruma's eyes.

"So what's up? We both thought you were home already" The pretty cheerleader smiled brightly at Sena. The latter smiled sheepishly with lightly blushed cheeks.

"Uh, no, well…Monta said he had something to tell me, so I waited for him"

"Yessss Max! I forgot 'bout it. Well, there's something that you should know my friend, there're times when a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do…In the wise path of life, my friend there's love and war…" Monta talked vehemently as he grabbed Sena by the right shoulder as if teaching the runningback the odd ways of a man's life, you could see them both on top of a huge cliff with ferocious sea waves clashing onto the cliff (A manly yet stupid way to explain things…quite unnecessary if you must know…)

Suzuna stood there watching Monta's overreacted pose.

"Just tell him already!" The girl yelled; she was annoyed by all that 'manly' crap.

"All right! Sena, I'm going out with Mamori-swan! She came to me begging 'Oh dear Monta, I love youuu!' and I said 'I know' and-" Monta was lost in his own fantasies by now, imagining the most ridiculous things about his nonexistent relationship with Mamori.

"WHAT? He's not serious right?" A sudden thought crossed Sena's mind. He saw Mamori-neechan holding hands with Monta, walking happily down a path of flowers. And Shin was there too! (Just what the hell was he doing there lifting weights?) Sometimes Sena shivered at his own weird thoughts.

"I can't believe it!" Muttered Sena, he was incredulous. Suzuna rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "It's not like that you dummy! I just told him Mamo-nee and I wanted to go out this Saturday. I only invited him to accompany us! But you know MonMon…-

"Oh, I see" The young runningback lowered his gaze; he looked rather disappointed. Suzuna's trained eyes didn't miss this revealing sign.

"I tried to ask you earlier before, but I couldn't find the occasion. So, you better have this Saturday free!" Suzuna said gingerly.

"Eh, yeah…Of course!" Sena smiled sweetly at the girl.

For some reason, his heart felt warmer.

* * *

It was finally Saturday, Monta had been waiting for this moment ever since he met Mamori. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen! Slender, gentle, beautiful! He knew she had something special about her. Was it her caring personality? Was it her beautiful face? Her marvelous blue eyes perhaps? Monta couldn't put his finger on it; he generally just liked the girl.

The monkey boy had always dreamed to have a proper date with her. Contrary to what people might think, Monta was a rather shy guy. He couldn't bring himself to asking her out, for two reasons. First off, he really appreciated the relationship they already held, being just friends and most importantly, he was well aware she might end up rejecting him. When Suzuna told him about some double date thing, he realized it was his golden opportunity…

"MonMon! I have something to tell you! It's about Mamo-nee!" Suzuna was waiting for him right at the school gates. Monta looked slightly puzzled.

"Something happened to her? I'll kill the bastard!" He posed ridiculously as if threatening to kill someone right on the spot.

"Don't be silly. Mamo-nee is just fine. Are you free this Saturday?"

"Eh? Yeah, why?" Monta was curious.

"Mamo-nee needs a date" Suzuna was petty blunt with her request, something a little out of character. Monta kept silent for a few seconds.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me max!" Monta waved his hand in a mocking kind of way. "Sorry, but I'll pass, I know you want to get revenge on me 'cuz of your favorite skates thing" The star catcher brushed past the young cheerleader, still not believing a word from her. He might have a simple brain but he wasn't stupid. Monta knew Suzuna quite well by now.

"It's not about that! I'm serious!" She slightly jerked Monta's uniform and shoot him a serious glance. Monta was surprised by this.

"So you're serious?"

"Of course I'm serious!" Monta looked back at the girl, she was pretty determined; he could see it in her flaming eyes. He hesitated for a few seconds, but his stupid illusions took the best out of him. He could see himself holding hands with Mamori looking dreamingly at each other under the caressing light of the sunset.

"So…A date with Mamori-san? LUCKY MAX! Well, you can count on the great Monta MAGIC!" He was terribly excited!

"All right, then it's settled then. By the way…" An evil grin spread through Suzuna's lips.

"What?" an unsuspecting Monta asked while he peeled a banana (his breakfast, actually). Suzuna's smirk grew even bigger anticipating the consequences of her evilness.

"Oh, nothing! I think Mamo-nee wanted to tell you herself. But I guess I spoiled the surprise…" She faked a sad face, Monta took the bait.

"Mukyaaa! My dear Mamori-swan wanted to ask me out?"

"Yeah, but I believe she wanted to be discrete about the whole thing…" Monta kept silence for a moment. Suzuna wondered if he had fallen for her little naughty trap.

"What exactly do you mean?" He gave up, quite easily and that was exactly what Suzuna wanted.

"I don't really know but I think she will ask you under a false excuse"

"A false excuse?"

"Yup! Something like 'Monta-kun could you please help me to do an errand?' or something like that. But I don't really know" Suzuna couldn't hold her evil grin anymore.

"Oh, I get it MAX! So if she asks me sumthing like that…"

"That's right!" Suzuna smiled back at the unsuspicious monkey-like-boy.

And just as Suzuna had said, later that day Mamori asked Monta to do an errand with her and Monta got a nosebleed right on the spot.

The Deimon's star catcher strolled along the street; he was supposed to meet with everyone at the Deimon's Train Station. "Today's gonna be the greatest date ever! I promise MAX!"

He arrived at the Train Station just in time, Mamori was already there.

**-Continue, Chapter 6: The Date-**


End file.
